Aliens Dropship

Beautiful,

To bad we couldn't get that in a kit.

Scale I mean.

I think by hand, but some folks are working on electronics packages - so there may be some remote controlled parts.

Thanks to a fellow board member, we'll be casting up missiles and engine cowlings this week... I'll post photos here for those of you who are interested...

I am.

alienscollection.com said:

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Thanks to a fellow board member, we'll be casting up missiles and engine cowlings this week... I'll post photos here for those of you who are interested...

here's where I'm at (after 2 and a half years)

http://www.b26354.co.nz/dsmissile_web/

I seem to have made some "modifications" along the way

b26354 said:

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here's where I'm at (after 2 and a half years)

http://www.b26354.co.nz/dsmissile_web/

I seem to have made some "modifications" along the way

That's amazing work there. Are you makinbg any of the custom parts available?

Clucking Bell!

That's astounding work Jon!

Harry

Brilliant Jon! Sheer artistry.

I had to laugh though, when I was designing the kit I HATED the poor job they did of copying the nose shape of the Dropship from the FS plans to the miniature, and so on the Halcyon kit I used the nose shape of the FS set piece and didn't go with the model's shape on the front of the craft. In your quest for the perfect model you seem to have recreated the cockpit shape of the miniature version The APC bay is stunning, don't forget the access ladder for Ripley to escape up into

Incredible what you have done with those castings.

Barry

Barry said:

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Brilliant Jon! Sheer artistry.

I had to laugh though, when I was designing the kit...
...SNIP...
Incredible what you have done with those castings.

Barry

I'm confused.
I saw the wooden master that started this thread and
in the most recent updates it is obvious that a cargo bay is being put in a hollow "model'.

Has this been made available for sale on the RPF or somewhere else?
I love to buy one of these Dropships to go with my APC.

Except for the occasional 1/25 scale car, I model almost exclusively in 1/32nd scale for WWII aircraft and science fiction subjects.
My latest future project is a 1/32nd scale Firefly Ariel Ambulance based on a 48th scale Monogram Hind.

Mike

It was a limited edition kit that was for sale some time ago. While the original master pattern was made of wood (what we used to make the molds), the ships were cast hollow for just such customization...

alienscollection.com said:

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It was a limited edition kit that was for sale some time ago. While the original master pattern was made of wood (what we used to make the molds), the ships were cast hollow for just such customization...

So...Not available anymore?

Sigh.....
Mike

Barry said:

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Brilliant Jon! Sheer artistry.

I had to laugh though, when I was designing the kit I HATED the poor job they did of copying the nose shape of the Dropship from the FS plans to the miniature, and so on the Halcyon kit I used the nose shape of the FS set piece and didn't go with the model's shape on the front of the craft. In your quest for the perfect model you seem to have recreated the cockpit shape of the miniature version The APC bay is stunning, don't forget the access ladder for Ripley to escape up into

Incredible what you have done with those castings.

Barry

At least my nose is symmetrical - the blend between the nose and cockit on the 1/12th scale mini certainly wasn't. Since I'm basing my front intakes off the mini as well the tighter radius from the top to side of the cockpit frame from the FS didn't look right. The bigger radius changes the shape of the blend between the cockpit and the spherical nose. Once I get the 2 bumps in front of the window frames, the raised bit in the middle, the "probe" out front and panel lines it'll look much better. I'm also basing the gattling gun off the FS (since the 1/12th scale was way too small). And... I'm already on version 5 of the cockpit... I can always make another

The steps at the rear of the cargo bay ramp are going to be tricky - there's really not enough room - there's barely enough room to fit the APC in (I'm pretty sure the full sized APC would have never fitted in the FS bay). Plus there's no evidence of the stairs on the filming miniature. I'll have to check but I don't think you ever see the steps deployed and the ramp down at the same time - maybe only DS02 had steps since it has an internal passenger section

It is tricky reconciling details from the FS to the mini. Some details of the mini change between shots and anything behind the rear skid only existed in a matte painting or on the mini and anything that moved (pods, ramp and landing gear) only did it on the minis.

Jon,

You're quite correct stating that the FS APC would never have fit inside the FS DS. The extending stairs are just aft of the full ramp, beginning on the backwards curve of the fuselage up towards the stowage bay for the rear skid/Alien Queen. But they're NOT the full width of the ramp.

You've hit the problem I always had trying to reconcile the FS ship with the miniature versions, which while coming out of a common mold differed considerably in their finish, and or, lack of detail from one another. Even for the motorising of the wings the back of each weapons pod had to be cut off to allow the wings to unfold relatively simultaneously. That's why it's shot head on, to diguise the rear of the pods being missing.

The 1/12th scale APC, built by Anton and Nick, was a modified version of the FS set piece and the 1/6th scale model. It was squatter and squished in order to fit into the 1/12th scale DS. It's the one reversing into the DS in the launch sequence and the one seen exiting the ship after touch-down on LV-426. The matte shot of the launch bay that you see in the movie was a photo of the model on the launch bay set aligned with footage of the real set. It's a great shot for its time, but you can see a bit of fudging where the FS DS ended, just past the rear Harrier VTOL engine.

I love what you've done with your miniature. The FS DS was clad in overlapping panels of aluminum riveted together to the frame. The Halcyon kit reproduced those panel lines (where possible due to molding limitations) but I always hated how heavy handed they were. When Alienscollection.com proposed this project I had hoped someone would fill the lines in and replace them with rivets ala the MR Nautilus that Scot Brodeen built. Seems you're the one to have DONE IT!

Again, great work.


Barry

One of these kits may be available - contact me if you're interested.

b26354 said:

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here's where I'm at (after 2 and a half years)

http://www.b26354.co.nz/dsmissile_web/

I seem to have made some "modifications" along the way

Wow, I really enjoyed seeing the engineering that you have put into your Dropship, Jon. Awesome work getting the APC and bay sorted. The landing gear is brilliant!

Respec.

Mike, Oz

That is absolutely incredible, that's always been one of my favorite ships. Great work!!!!

AMAZING! What a beauty!

Looking forward for finished pics!

Simply Stunning work mate. I have never seen such craftsmanship and detail in a model before.

Here's some pics of the missiles Jon was kind enough to master for the group:

http://www.alienscollection.com/drop...issilekit1.jpg

http://www.alienscollection.com/drop...issilekit2.jpg

great group build gentlemen,

If another kit becomes available or someone wants to open a slot for me please let me know...i'm so down to tackle this project


Keep the progress pics comming


AM

b26354 said:

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here's where I'm at (after 2 and a half years)
http://www.b26354.co.nz/dsmissile_web/
I seem to have made some "modifications" along the way

oooo, something caught my eye, I am looking at picture 33 on page one (seventh row, third from the left). The picture of the missiles, on the right half top row, last missile on the right, the yellow tip on that missile...where did you find that?

Totally agree TROY...a thing of beauty

Regards
TAZ